


Takashi Kido, Why it Works, and What it Can Change in P5

by HanaHimus



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series, Persona | Revelations Persona
Genre: Essays, Other, non-fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-19
Updated: 2019-10-19
Packaged: 2020-12-24 10:10:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21097745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HanaHimus/pseuds/HanaHimus
Summary: A mini-essay of sorts that explains the Takashi Kido theory, how it works, and what it can mean for P5.





	1. What is Takashi Kido?

**Author's Note:**

> Seperated into 3 chapters so each header has its own little thing, yeee

Takashi Kido is the headcanon/theory that Joker from Persona 5 is actually Takashi Kido -- Reiji’s child. The name comes from the name Reiji states he plans on naming his unborn child should they be a boy at the end of Eternal Punishment.

(fun fact: the name Takashi comes from combining the first kanji of ‘Takahisa’ and the last kanji of ‘Reiji’!)

And that’s it. That’s the basic premise of Takashi Kido! This’ll be the simplest part of this, so it’s time to buckle up.


	2. Why Takashi Kido Works

Now, the first thought one might have is “would that even work? Atlus wouldn’t make a new character the child of someone from P1/P2!” And, well, there’s two things to say to that. One: If it’s just a headcanon, it’s just for some good fun! Nothing to worry. Two, for those of us who go full force for this headcanon, there’s a character to remember: Tamami Uesugi.

“A dancing game character?” You may groan, but hold up! Tamami has the same last name (down to the kanji) as Hidehiko Uesugi! Not to mention, her backstory lines up really well with what Brown is doing by P2 on (even if her mother deal makes me think of the whole… Junko-Brown rumors from IS, yikes). She’s also got a lot of quirks similar to Brown’s, making it pretty damn easy to think Atlus purposefully made a character that could very well be Brown’s daughter…

So if Atlus did this with P4DAN, who’s to say it’s out of the question to headcanon Joker in a similar situation?

Speaking of which, time to get into some dirty details about just  _ why  _ Joker works as Takashi. To begin, the Persona 2 Duology happens in 1999. Canonically, Joker would have been born sometime in 1999 or early 2000, lining up with when Reiji gets his girlfriend pregnant perfectly.

Joker also uses knives as his melee weapon, which may seem to have no link to Reiji or P1 in general, but… Guess what Reiji’s selling during the duology! That’s right, knives. Sure, they may be kitchen knives, but it’s a nice little connection to why Joker chooses a knife as his weapon.

There’s also the subject of Personas and the elements they use. Joker’s initial Persona -- Arsene -- uses Eiha skills. Not only have these skills not been seen since Persona 1, but the only character to have Eiha skills on their initial OR ultimate persona? Reiji, who has them on both Bres AND Mot. Elements passed down through the generations? Well, why not?

Of course, it’s not all just Joker and Reiji having similarities that fuel this theory. Persona 1 and Persona 5 in general actually hold quite a bit in common, when one takes the time to look at them both.

The quarter-American who on some level is involved with modelling is a descriptor for both Eriko Kirishima and Ann Takamaki. Blond twintails, a whip, and a firey initial Persona is also a description that can be shared between Yuka Ayase and Ann Takamaki. A boy of the Chariot Arcana, associated with the color yellow, and often insulted by at least one other teammates describes both Masao Inaba and Ryuji Sakamoto.

That’s not even touching on Reiji and Goro Akechi and all the similarities that lie in their backstories. Bastard children, born of affairs between powerful men and their mothers, both seeking revenge by any means possible. Hell, Goro even has some similarities to Kandori, both being very empty people, chasing after a deadly goal. That’s not even mentioning the similarities in their death scenes.

Persona 5 also brought back the use of actual demon-appearances for the beings you fight throughout the game, as well as negotiation. Of course, this, as well as the Frei line of spells also appeared in Persona 2, but there’s quite a bit the series of Persona hadn’t seen since P1 as well.

Eiha, of course, is one of them. The Kouha line was also brought back for the first time since P1! The use of guns and a melee weapon was also a P1 exclusive before the release of P5.

There’s also the discussion of Palaces in Persona 5. Cognitive worlds aren’t a mystery to Persona, and have been explored since the start. Of course, the Ideal Mikage-Cho and the Palaces aren’t the same, and that’s actually not what I’m here to talk about. I’m here to talk about another area from P1 that reminds me of Palaces much more: Deva Yuga.

Deva Yuga is a castle made by Takahisa Kandori with the power of Aki’s and Mai’s compact allowing him to create the Chaos Mirror. This castle is where Kandori rules and plans to act out his, guess what, distorted desires. It’s actually very similar to a Palace, I think, only the powers by which it came to be are different… And that’s not even to mention the god puppeteering things behind the scenes in both cases.

Overall, there’s a lot that lets the Takashi Kido theory/headcanon work well in terms of Persona 5’s characters and mechanics. Now, it’s time to dive into…


	3. What it Means for P5

This section of the essay will be much more personal. I’ll be detailing anything I think it can add to the lens in which P5 is viewed through, and the way it can link to Persona 1, Persona 2, and even SMTif on a larger level.

For one, there’s almost something poetic about Takashi finding his way to friends that could remind him of his father and his father’s friends. Ann’s love of villains reminding him of Auntie Elly excitedly talking about storybook villains, Yusuke’s art reminding him of Aunt Maki’s, Goro’s anger and pain and story bringing his father and his father’s story to mind… Finding people who are like those who love him back home, who bring him comfort while stuck out in Tokyo away from them all. Who become just as unique and special in his mind with time…

It can also add to him negotiating with Shadows. Surely he’d heard about it from everyone from Maya to Eriko to even Tamaki (after all, she had plenty of tips for Naoya). If he has prior knowledge, it could help explain why he's so composed during it. 

Finally, there's some nice possible family drama. Remember Kandori and what was mentioned earlier? About Deva Yuga? Well, should Takashi know of or learn of Kandori while dealing with Palaces… Plenty of room for him to consider a dead uncle who'd be prime Palace material. 

Overall, Takashi Kido is an interesting way to look at Joker and P5 in general. 


End file.
